I enjoyed going on Cain & Violet’s journey! I liked that it had plenty of humor & heart. Cain & Violet captivated me from the first page to the last!

I look forward to more by Lauren Layne in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Violet has endured a lot of loss in her life which has resulted in her always wanting to do whatever she can for the people she cares about. She has always done what was expected of her and knows the importance or proper manners and your reputation. After her grandmother passed away it was her grandmother’s best friend Edith who has been there for her so when she asks her for help with her grandson, she can’t say no.

Cain knew nothing about his father or his family since he was raised by his mother and he has a life and a business in New Orleans. He isn’t certain he wants to take control of his grandmother’s company especially if it means changing who he is and he isn’t about to change his mind by a woman who places more importance on appearances than who he is.

Cain and Violet find themselves on opposite sides so there is bound to be some tension. As they spend time together, they learn a lot not only about each other but also themselves as the enchanting romance between them unfolds.

I needed a cheery book and I knew Lauren Layne would deliver. This story gives a nod to My Fair Lady, where one character makes over another.

In this case, Violet works for an older woman who runs a family owned
business. She wants to keep it in the family but her son died. She discovers a grandson named Cain in Louisiana and brings him to NYC, and asks Violet to make him dress appropriately and teach him about the museums, concerts etc. he’ll be expected to support as CEO of a company. Violet is the perfect person for the job, she grew up in the moneyed world of Upper East Side Manhattan and knows what will be expected of Cain.

When Cain arrives, Violet realizes she’s got a tough job ahead. He’s not sure he even wants to be a CEO and resists her efforts to change him. They’re attracted to one another, and Violet slowly realizes she has more in common with him than she thought. She decides that maybe he’s fine just the way he is.

I really enjoyed this book. Great writing, interesting characters, and interesting descriptions of NYC make this a book to read, 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Made in Manhattan is pure bliss in typical Lauren Layne style. Take a confident woman, a savvy fish-out-of-water man, throw a touch of My Fair Lady in the mix, some sexy jazz, a cutie patootie Yorkie, an interfering grandmother, and lots of rapid fire dialogue with some swoony scenes and you have a book that you don’t want to put down–at least I didn’t, and actually I mostly didn’t, only interrupting for dinner and 30 minutes of Netflix. Emily in Paris can’t stand up to Made in Manhattan I assure you.

The relationship between Violet and Cain in Made in Manhattan is not the stuff of My Fair Lady so if you’re looking for a complete retelling you’ll be disappointed. It’s an equal give-and-take deal with Cain showing Violet that she’s been settling in her life, settling for fine rather than great. Partly with his guidance, she opens up and finds the joy in her life. Likewise, Cain learns from Violet to open himself up to relationships, snobbery is a two-way street, and you can’t judge a girl by her clothes.

Made in Manhattan is warm-hearted, funny, and pure escapist pleasure. A definite must-read for all Lauren Layne fans. PS, this book made me want to visit Central Park, go to a jazz club, and go to New Orleans–not all at the same time. 😉

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

OVERALL RATING –5 stars
RECOMMENDED FOR: those that like a light fun read with a slow burn with bits of high heat

First my usual points:
- I do not do spoilers unless warned.
- Read the summary above; it will tell you what the book is about. I will not reiterate.
- This is a standalone
- No errors that I caught as far as editing.
- The author was new to me (and I'll be looking for more by her)

BOOK:
- Contemporary romance
- 3rd person POV

Star Ratings - 1 (poor) - 5(READ THIS BOOK)
· Writing Quality: 5 stars
· Story ingredient: 5 stars
· Ease of reading/Pace: 5 stars
· Plot strength: 5 stars
· Steam Level: 3.5 stars (open door scenes, high on the romance but not graphic)

Notes/Opinion (personal):
I love retellings. This caught my interest because it was a retelling but it was not a common retelling - think My Fair Lady or Pretty Woman...only reverse who's being made over.

Violet was perfect in all her perfectness of manners and appearances...and there's nothing wrong with having manners and presenting a nice appearance. Cain was everything she wasn't but in the end both were in all their imperfectness - absolutely perfect for each other.

While this wasn't my favorite Lauren Layne book, I did still enjoy it! I love My Fair Lady so the premise of this book had me sold - I loved the juxtaposition of Violet's UES bringing and Cain's southern Louisiana roots. I will admit it took me a while to actually like Cain and Violet though - it wasn't until they began to see themselves (and each other) in new lights and become the people they were searching for, that this book really started to click for me. I also really wish we had had Cain's POV - I think it would have added A LOT to the storyline and relationship development. That being said, I thought the ending was great and it wrapped up the story nicely.

Overall, a quick, light, and fast paced read filled with a sweet romance and great wit/banter!

Rating: 3.5 stars

Made in Manhattan
by: Lauren Layne
Gallery Books

Made in Manhattan is a contemporary romance, and will appeal to many readers in this genre.
It is the story of the relationship between socialite Violet and southern man Cain. New York City is a wonderful setting for a light romantic book such as this

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallery Books for the advanced reader's copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

This book is the definition of short and sweet. Chic lit romance, nothing too heavy or deep. I would have appreciated more development to the story and characters - everything was pretty predictable and moved extremely quickly. The idea of the story was good, but I needed more of the details of Cain's "transformation" and how both he and Violet felt about it. You can easily read this one in a day. 2.5 stars.

This reverse My Fair Lady is a sweet romance for anyone who loves a good enemy-to-lovers trope. Made in Manhattan pairs the sophisticated, Upper East Side Violet, with the rougher Louisana boy Cain. From the moment they meet, sparks fly and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. The problem is, Cain is brash and crass and Violet is not sure he's worth the trouble.

At the heart of the book, however, are two people who just want to know they'll be accepted for who they are and not who they think people want them to be. Throughout the book, you witness how they change each other and open up to new experiences and ideas. It's a fast read with a consistent sexual simmer and just a really enjoyable book. Any opportunity to read a book at least partially set in New Orleans is a must-read for me.

I read Made in Manhattan in one sitting, it was impossible to put down.

Violet and Cain clash immediately, and I really enjoyed watching them come around to each other and how they grew as people. Violet definitely changed the most, and it was all for the better. She needed the kick in the pants to start living life rather than letting it pass her by. Cain didn't necessarily grow as much, but he was more settled in himself than Violet was.

In the beginning Violet has a maybe boyfriend Keith and ugh, I really wanted to punch him in the face. He was a clueless jerk and didn't deserve one ounce of Violet's attention.

Made in Manhattan is light, fun and an enjoyable way to spend your afternoon or evening.

This book was an awesome enemies to lovers with a lot of heart and sass. Loved the developing characters and the gorgeous settings. A highly entertaining read!!

In this modern day, gender flipped Pygmalion, takes the challenge to turn her employer's long lost hicksville grandson into someone who looks, dresses and acts the part of a member of the NYC ton's corporate elite. Violet never backs down from a challenge, and Cain is deliberating grating, but a quick study. Their mutual attraction has a slow almost begrudging burn.

The superficial socialite has more depth than it would appear, and the Louisiana businessman turns out to have the interest and acumen to take on the posh position of his inheritance. A fast read for fans of Christina Lauren.

I received an advance reader's review copy of #MadeInManhattan from #NetGalley.

Say hello to the book I’m recently obsessed with. What does that mean? It means I spent time googling celebrities who I think would star in this movie, I googled the author, looked up all of her other books, and gushed about this book to anyone who would listen. You guys are next, so here we go…

If you know me or have been following me for a while, then you know I love books based out of NYC and I (maybe) overly romanticize New York City romances. But trust me when I say, this is a book you want to add to your TBR. I think it’s a bit different of a story, where the MCs are a New York socialite and a southern boy from Louisiana who just inherited a billion-dollar company. Since I am not a socialite, Violet was not 100% relatable, but I think her feelings and the way she was still trying to figure out what she wanted in life were so refreshing to read. It really shows that money isn’t everything and the grass isn’t always greener. Cain, I’m not sure what to say about Cain but hot damn. At first, I thought his personality was a little annoying, but I think the author did a great job showing his many layers and I ended up loving him in the end.

I read this book in a day, and I feel like it consumed me and I absolutely adored it. I was smiling throughout the book - I loved the banter, the writing, the story, the characters - I just loved it all.

Definitely check out this book on the 18th, and thank you Netgalley and Gallery books for e-arc!

Pros: The cover of this book caught my attention, and when I read in the description that one of the characters is “an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou,” I was curious to read this book. As someone who lives in Louisiana, I went into the book already feeling defensive of how a New York City book would characterize someone from Louisiana, but I needn’t have worried. This modern take on My Fair Lady was fun, light, and charming. The main character made me think of Charlotte York.

Cons: “N’awlins.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this book.

*happy sigh*

One of my favorite things about a Lauren Layne book is that NYC is often it’s own character in the book and Made in Manhattan is no exception…except she added the character of New Orleans!

Violet is asked by her surrogate grandmother to help Cain, the newly discovered grandson, fit into corporate New York. But from the very beginning it’s clear that this reverse My Fair Lady is going to be so much more!

I loved Violet’s journey of self discovery and Caine’s gradual acceptance of his grandma. Coco/Toto and Alvin offered perfect moments of comedic relief. And everyone should have an Ashley as a BFF! While getting to experience Violet’s New York and Cain’s New Orleans added another layer of character development and emotion.

I can’t wait for my next LL fix!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book but all opinions are my own.

When I saw Made in Manhattan advertised as a play on “My Fair Lady,” I immediately was sucked in. Oh, one of my favorite musical movies with a gender-bent contemporary twist? Yes, please.

Cain is the newly found (and previously undiscovered) grandson of Violet’s “employer” and mentor. Violet is then tasked with helping the Louisiana-born Cain fit in with the rest of the hoity toity Manhattan society. Cain is highly resistant to this and takes out all his resentment on Violet. Cain is actually a very unlikable character for a big chunk of the book. While I like that he challenged Violet’s views and helped her see how snobby and rude some people can be, it can’t excuse his own behavior toward her.

Violet was the star of Made in Manhattan. She shows great emotional growth yet retains her innate sweetness and light. I couldn’t see why she was attracted to Cain (other than the surface looks) as first, but he eventually won me over as he let down his guard.

Overall, Made in Manhattan had good pacing, fun and witty banter, and an enjoyable storyline. Another great read by Lauren Layne.

It had been quite some time since I had last read this author, but the reverse My fair lady element in the blurb excited me. It wasn’t misleading, but it was a lot more than that, and I enjoyed it a lot. Barely slept to finish it actually.

The main point of the story is that Cain and Violet couldn’t be more different. The entrepreneur from New Orleans makes his own rules and lives his life without any help. Especially not from the family that never knew he existed. On the other hand, Violet is a people pleaser, and she kind of forgot herself by following the rules of the privileged world she lives in. Forced to work together to improve Cain’s appearance to fit his new job, it becomes quite unclear who’s really My-fair-lady-ing the other.

We only get Violet’s point of view, so of course it’s biased. But thanks to the depiction of body language and voices’ tone, there’s no doubt about what people around her feel and think. Even when a character’s being manipulative, which is a bit unrealistic seeing as we are all so clueless sometimes.

I just love how the author writes tension, passion and restraint. It’s almost physically obvious how much they want each other, through her words only. So with so much desire infusing Violet and Cain’s conversations, their constant banter is even more entertaining. I just would have enjoyed more sexy times.

In this book, places were almost as important as characters. The descriptions of various places in New York, and New Orleans, helped with getting a feel of the characters, as they were somewhat paired.

It isn’t exactly original, is somewhat classic in the writing style, but it’s effective and enjoyable. A little more than just a good book.

Quickie

- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #chick lit #enemies to lovers #opposites attract #different sides of the tracks
- Triggers: mention of substance abuse and death, mention of past death by helicopter crash
- Main couple: Violet Townsend & Cain Stone
- Hotness: 2/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + the banter was delicious
- – that’s one slow burn with little satisfaction

3.5 ⭐️

“Violet sniffed. ‘The language is hardly necessary.’

‘That’s unnecessary? Says the duchess in her old-lady pearls. How old are you, twenty-two going on ninety? Everything about you is unnecessary.’”

Made in Manhattan is a reverse-Pretty Woman / My Fair Lady situation, where Cain, gruff and snarky, and comes from New Orleans into the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Violet is there to meet him, determined to make him fit into her socialite, pearl-and-designer-wearing world so he can take over as CEO of his grandmother’s company. The two have fantastic banter and sparking chemistry to make this a really fun read in really fun settings (NYC and NOLA). Absolutely loved the inclusion of Mardi Gras! This book flew by - an excellent and fun read!

Thanks to Gallery Books and Valentine PR for the copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this book. On the surface Violet and Cain are from different worlds and seem to have nothing in common but underneath they were more alike than they thought. Both needed to just be who they are but kept getting placed into an image others think they should be. There is so much more to them than what people see.

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and Ms. Layne for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I'd say this is a solid 3.5 star book that I liked enough to round up to 4 for Goodreads. It was a quick read: I think I finished it in about 3 hours. The heroine, Violet, did really remind me of Charlotte York: posh, perfect brunette socialite with a little dog, but sweet. The male main character, Cain Stone, was described at first as a hot, resentful hick with a scruffy face and a ponytail and a bad attitude. Your classic sunshine/grump trope meets a gender-flipped Fair Lady/Pygmalion retelling. And Lord knows I love a retelling.

I thought it was a really cute story and I loved the softening of Violet and Cain towards each other's truest selves. I was happy that Violet realized Cain shouldn't have been changed, and happy that Cain realized that Violet deserved his best. I did wish though that they had ended up in New Orleans. I felt like Cain was truly happy there, and Violet could have been, too. New York was portrayed in a way that, while it sounded like a fun vacation, didn't really win me over. I would never move there for a park, sorry. There are plenty of nice parks elsewhere. The jazz clubs, snobby museums, abundance of rats, crammed, expensive living spaces, and "neon orange-greased pizza" (this is a quote) really didn't do it for me either. I'm not a concrete jungle kinda girl, I guess. I'm sure it was a lot easier for Cain to be won over to NYC since he could AFFORD the makeover and the exorbitantly expensive real estate (again, direct quote from Violet). Most people can't.

Spoiler: I was glad to see that someone finally pointed out just how awful, stressful and pressuring those public proposals can be. I also liked that Violet was kind enough to let Keith down in private because she's a nice person. That seemed really realistic to me and I appreciated it.

Overall: a cute, light, fun story with a charming romance. This author is new to me but I would try more from her.